أَلا سَلَتَ اللَهُ اِبنَ سَلتى كَما نَعى

رَبيعاً تَجَلّى غَيمُهُ حينَ أَقلَعا

Has God not taken the son of my aunt just as he took

A spring whose clouds gathered as it rose

فَلا رُزءَ إِلّا الدينَ أَعظَمُ مِنهُما

غَداةَ دَعا ناعيهِما ثُمَّ أَسمَعا

So nothing brings me joy but faith, greater than both of them

On the morrow when their mourner called then heard

عَلانِيَةً أَنَّ السِماكَينِ فارَقا

مَكانَيهِما وَالصُمَّ أَصبَحنَ خُشَّعا

Openly that the two fishes had left

Their positions and the deaf were saddened

عَلى خَيرِ مَنعِيَّينِ إِلّا خَليفَةً

وَأَولاهُ بِالمَجدِ الَّذي كانَ أَرفَعا

For the best of two vigilant leaders except a successor

And he endowed with the glory that had been most lofty

سَمِيَّي رَسولِ اللَهِ سَمّاهُما بِهِ

أَبٌ لَم يَكُن عِندَ المُصيباتِ أَخضَعا

Named by Allah’s Messenger named both of them by it

A father who before misfortunes was not most humble

أَبٌ كانَ لِلحَجّاجِ لَم يُرَ مِثلُهُ

أَباً كانَ أَبنى لِلمَعالي وَأَنفَعا

A father who to the pilgrims had not been seen like him

A father who for glories was most steadfast and beneficial

وَقائِلَةٍ لَيتَ القِيامَةَ أُرسِلَت

عَلَينا وَلَم يُجروا البَريدَ المُقَزَّعا

And a woman saying would that the Resurrection were sent

Upon us and the couriers had not guessed

إِلَينا بِمَختومٍ عَلَينا مُؤَجَّلاً

لِيُبلِغَناها عاشَ في الناسِ أَجدَعا

To us by a sealed message to us delayed

To convey it to us lived among men most barren

نَعى فَتَيَينا لِلطِعانِ وَلِلقِرى

وَعَدلَينِ كانا لِلحُكومَةِ مَقنَعا

The death of two youths to the critics and the towns

And two substitutes who for government were sufficient

خِيارَينِ كانا يَمنَعانِ ذِمارَنا

وَمَعقِلَ مَن يَبكي إِذا الرَوعُ أَفزَعا

The best two who would forbid our censure

And refuge for whoever weeps when fright startles

فَعَينَيَّ ما المَوتى سَواءً بُكاهُمُ

فَبِالدَمِّ إِن أَنزَفتُما الماءَ فَاِدمَعا

My eyes why are the dead equal in their weeping

So with blood if you two pour water then pour tears

وَما لَكُما لا تَبكِيانِ وَقَد بَكى

مِنَ الحَزَنِ الهَضبُ الَّذي قَد تَقَلَّعا

And why do you two not weep and the ridge has wept

From grief itself which had cast off

مَآتِمُ لِاِبنَي يوسُفٍ تَلتَقي لَها

نَوائِحُ تَنعى وارِيَ الزَندِ أَروَعا

Funerals for the two sons of Joseph meet for it

Eulogies mourning most delightful hosts

نَعَت خَيرَ شُبّانِ الرِجالِ وَخَيرَهُم

بِهِ الشَيبُ مِن أَكنافِهِ قَد تَلَفَّعا

Mourning the best of young men and their best

With old age from their sides had cast off

أَخاً كانَ أَجزى أَيسَرَ الأَرضِ كُلِّها

وَأَجزى اِبنُهُ أَمرَ العِراقَينِ أَجمَعا

A brother who had rewarded easiest of all the land

And his son had guided Iraq’s command

وَقَد راعَ لِلحَجّاجِ راعيهِما مَعاً

صَبوراً عَلى المَيتِ الكَريمِ مُفَجَّعا

And he had lead as shepherd for the pilgrims and for both

Patient with the precious dead overwhelmed